Promise to the Dying
by Crumbled
Summary: During the final battle Rukia is mortally wounded and Ichigo stays by her side... One shot...R


Disclaimer: I own nothing about Bleach.

I actually wrote this as part a longer story but as I'm too lazy and busy at the same time I never got round to finishing it. I did end up writing this part 6months ago and have been dying to post it.

SYNOPSIS BEHIND THE STORY

After the Hueco Mundo arc Rukia decides to train for bankai. Eventually gaining it in time for the final battle. Everyone gets involved including Isshin who everyone finds out is an ex-captain. At the last battle between Ichigo and Rukia and Aizen, they kill them with their combined strength, skill and tactics but Rukia ends up mortally wounded...

* * *

She felt the pain in her chest again. It was magnified, blinding. Her knees trembled, unable to hold her weight. She felt her whole world slow right down as she glided to her knees. Sode no Shirayuki still clutched in her clammy hand while the other hand moved up to the gapping wound in her chest. Blood poured freely between her fingers, staining the once pure white tunic crimson. The wolf fur which lined her coat clumped together with the amount of blood soaked through it.

The ice powered sword wavered with surges of power sending an array of goosebumps up her arm. A thin layer of glistening frost crystallised on the tiny hair on her fore arm. Her teeth chattered as her body began to feel the affect of her ice sword as well as the loss of warm blood.

"Rukia!" her name was called out but it sounded far away. Too far away to take any notice.

Her features contorted with a fresh wave of pain. She felt the warm sticky blood pool below her, soaking her black trousers.

'At least,' she thought, 'at least, I did what I set out to do. I completed bankai; I made myself useful; I helped Ichigo and the others; we defeated Aizen and the Arrancar. They'll be safe now. They'll be safe.'

"Rukia!"

She gasped for air as more blood was pumped up her throat, oozing the metallic tasting fluid from her mouth and tinting her lips.

A pair knees slid into her view. "Rukia," his voice was barely a whisper but it conveyed so much. Warm calloused and scratched hands cupped her face, lifting her until her heavy violet eyes met his amber orbs. Tears threaten his eyes as he turned away; screaming for help. His voice quivering with fear. She didn't realise she had closed her eyes until she felt his hands lightly shake her cheeks. "Rukia! Rukia! It's going to be okay. Helps coming." His words did little to belie his voice.

She could hear his fear, his doubts. But she felt her own fears soften as he wrapped his arms round. Holding her body gently but firmly against his own. She thought of Kaien. Of his last words which she was now able to put in to action.

"Thank you," it was barely a whisper but it was all she could manage at that moment.

"What?" he pulled her back just enough to look at her properly.

"Thank you, for everything. I…"

"Don't say that. We should be thanking you. If it wasn't for you we'd all be dead."

She couldn't help but smile at his words.

"Lie down they'll be here soon and they'll heal you," he shifted her weight to lay her down but the last few words were cut off.

"No!" she whimpered, clutching on to his coat. Her hand slipped from the amount of blood covering her hand but they found a grip and he stopped his movements. "I don't want to die-"

"You're not going to die!" he interrupted her but her grip tightened. He pulled her back to his chest, her head lying in the crook of his neck as she continued to speak.

"I don't want to die lying down." Her breathing was haggard and her body gave a shudder. Through chattering teeth she continued. "Someone once told me to not die on my own. So please don't lay me down." She pulled herself further into his hold, to feel more of his warmth. "I want my last moments to be in the arms of someone I care for. To be in your arms." She felt the lump settle in her throat making it hard for her to produce words. "Ichigo, I give you my heart." She closed her eyes tight as tears escaped.

"I promise, Rukia, not to let you go," his words were chocked as he whispered them in her ear.

She felt his head rest upon hers. Tears slid down his blooded cheek to disappear on her scalp. His body shuddered as he wept.

"Ichigo! Rukia!" a mix of voices called out but she didn't hear them. All she could hear was his heart racing and then the void took her.

* * *

Her grip slackened as she drifted away from him. He placed a kiss on her temple then lay his cheek back down. He could still feel her breath cold, faint and ragged on his skin through the opening of his coat.

"Ichigo!" his father knelt beside them. "Ichigo, you need to let her go so we can try and heal her."

Her breathing was becoming shorter and softer with each passing second. The grip she had held so tightly on his coat loosened gradually but remained in place.

He looked into the eyes of his father. It was a rare moment to see his father look serious.

In that moment her breathing stopped. He could no longer feel the goosebumps on his chest were her breathe had touched. He could still feel her reiatsu within pulsating but all the time becoming weaker till it would stop along with her breathing. He clutched her tighter.

"No," his words were strong, defiant. He felt rather than saw the others appear around them. "I promised her. I promised her I wouldn't let her go."

Silent words were passed between them. Ichigo turned back to the woman in his arms. His eyes closed ignoring the sets of eyes trained on them. He felt a pair of hands take hold of his. A flare of reiatsu shot up around him as he snapped his head up. "I'm not letting her go!" he shouted at his father who had moved behind Rukia.

Their eyes locked and Ichigo saw that his father understood. "I know," his replied gently moving his son's hands. "Just place your hands here." He placed them over the entry wound and placed his own on top.

His father looked up to the side. Unohana appeared to one side placing her hands over the others. Another person walked around to the other side of his father, it was the 4th's fukutaichou who placed her hands to the side. Hanatarōcame and sat down beside his taichou placing his hands to the side.

He looked back to his father. "Ichigo, we're going to need all the reiatsu we can get. If we can channel it from you-"

"Do it."

His father looked back up and gave a nod. The mass streamed forward. Byakuya, the first, burned and blooded with tears in his eyes stroked a hand down his sister's hair resting it between her shoulder blades. Renji, one arm limp by his side but the other coming to rest on her other shoulder.

Urahara limped forth with Yoruichi by his side. They knelt on either side of Ichigo placing their hands on his shoulders and back. He instantly felt their heated reiatsu pour into him. It felt like candle wax poured on to skin but within him. He turned his thoughts to Rukia as he channelled their reiatsu with his own to her.

He felt more hands come placed on his back; too many to count. They kept coming. His back was covered and he sensed that some of those who were the closest had the reaitsu of others flowing through them as well.

Nothing seemed to happen. All their combined effort and it wasn't working. He clenched his teeth, trying to force more of his own reiatsu in with the others. Tears escaped as he whispered in her ear. "Come on Rukia. You can do it. Come on."

He felt one hand come down to grip his arm allowing more reiatsu to flow through to meet her wound. He looked up to see it was her brother's, the other hand still resting on her back. With tears still evident in his eyes he gave a look which if it had come from anyone else would have been the equivalent of a supportive smile. Ichigo's words had been heard by the other man.

He turned his attention back to Rukia. "Come one. Everyone's here. They're all trying their hardest. Trying for you. Come on," her reiatsu which had still been there if only as a microscopic speck disappeared. Even with all the reiatsu flowing into her it was like a black hole as it was sucked away into nothing. She was gone. "Rukia" he gritted through his teeth, the tears coming faster. "Rukia. Please," he begged. "Please, please. You can't leave us. Can't leave me. I… I need you."

* * *

"… I need you."

Dying neurons exploded with a new lease of life. Empowered by the huge mass force of reiatsu flowing in and around the body which had been shutting down. It seemed as if time did not exist as the neurons began their work to send signals all over with some failing to get to needed action. Thoughts came; her own thoughts.

'What the hell is going on?' was the main thought passing around till a few other thoughts became more important.

'What is that warmth...? I recognise it… what is it?'

"I need you" the voice was faint and strained but in her mind it was the clearest thing there and it prompted a whole string of thoughts.

'What? Who is that? Who needs me?'

"Rukia…" the voice croak a word which for a moment she didn't recognise. But then it hit her. 'I'm Rukia'

The warmth surrounding her seemed to grow till she could actually feel parts of her body. Legs, feet, toes and the pain in her knees which she realised could be due to her kneeling on the ground. Arms, hands, fingers and she could even feel the cotton material she was holding onto even though it was cold and damp. She wanted a better grip but her muscles weren't yet working. Her other hand felt very cold but she also felt a hard in her loose grasp.

'Sode no Shirayuki'

She felt the gentle reiatsu gliding up her arm but it was nothing compared to the reiatsu flowing into her back. More sensations and thoughts floaded in as emotions hit her in a wave. The memory of her zanpakutō also produced others associated with the voice which called out to her.

'Ichigo'

She desperately wanted to cry out but her muscles still refused movement. She became more aware of the danger she was in if she didn't do something soon. Her lungs weren't moving. She felt the onslaught of foreign reiatsu flowing from all over. She frantically urged her body to do something. Not just her body; she urged on her will to live. She wanted to live.

* * *

Ichigo was loosing hope. He didn't know how long they had been there but he knew that they were at the end. They were all trying so hard with all the reiatsu they had to spare with some giving more than they should. Everyone was weak from the battle. They had their own injuries or someone else's to take care of. He couldn't expect them increase the condition of their injuries. But he couldn't bear to give up and they all knew that as continued with no signs that they were about to give up either.

"Come on Rukia…"

'……'

He felt a tightening in his chest as he realised that he was the one who had to let go. No it was; it was that. He looked down to the woman in his arms. Her hand tightened on his robe.

"Rukia…?"

"Ichigo"

He looked up to his dad and gave a nod. "She's okay." Tears of relief flowed as the message of Rukia's resurrection spread. He pulled her into a tight embrace still determined not to let her go.

"Give them some space!" someone shouted as the mass peeled away leaving only a select few in his view.

Byakuya removed his hand from Ichigo's arm and his sister's back. He rose from his position leaving Ichigo's father as the only one left who placed a caring hand over his son's.

"Son, you need to let her go so they can take her back to Soul Society. She needs treatment."

"No. I'll carry her." He stood up in one smooth swoop with Rukia cradled in his arms. Her zanpakutō slipped from her hand but her brother caught it. He turned his back to his father and walked towards the mass of shinigami all waiting for the appearance the gate back home.

"Thank you," came the quiet muffled voice in his arms.

"Don't be an idiot Rukia. I'm not letting you die. Ever. So don't even think about it."

"Baka" she whispered as she clung to her support.

"Damn right I am."

* * *

Thanks for reading... hope you didn't use up too many tissues...

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